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Somadatta, pass us by. 840. He burns in a dreadful hell, the earth also opens up for him. The betrayer of friends, the abandoner of benefactors, even while living, he withers away. 841. If you desire wealth, Bhūridatta will give it. I think the enmity you have created, you will soon experience. 842. Having performed a great sacrifice, thus brahmins are purified. We will perform a great sacrifice, thus we will be freed from evil. 843. Well then, I will go away now. I will not be with you today. I would not go even one step, with such an evildoer. 844. Having said this to his father, Somadatta, the learned one, having made the beings murmur, departed from that place. 845. Seize this great nāga, bring me his gem. Whose color is like a ladybird, whose head is reddish. 846. Like a heap of cotton, his body appears. He lies at the top of an anthill, seize him, O brahmin. 847. Then with divine herbs, reciting mantra words, thus he was able to subdue him, having made protection for himself. 848. Seeing me coming, with all desires fulfilled... Your faculties are disturbed, your face has become pale. 849. Like a lotus in hand, crushed by the palm; So has your face become pale, seeing me like this. 850. "Are you not sleeping well? Do you have some pain? Because of which your face has become pale, seeing me?" 851. "Father, I saw a dream, a month ago; As if my right arm, cut off and smeared with blood; A man took it and went away, while I was weeping. 852. Since I saw that dream, know this, Sudassana; Since then, day or night, I find no happiness." 853. Where before he was surrounded, by maidens of lovely form; Adorned with golden nets, Bhuridatta is not seen. 854. Where before he was surrounded, by those bearing excellent swords; Like fully bloomed Kanikara flowers, Bhuridatta is not seen. 855. "Come now, let us go, to Bhuridatta's dwelling; To see your brother, righteous and endowed with virtue." 856. And seeing her approaching, Bhuridatta's mother; Raising their arms, they cried out, Bhuridatta's wives. 857. "Aunt, we do not know our son, for a month now; Whether dead or alive, the glorious Bhuridatta." 858. Like a bird whose young are killed, seeing its nest empty; Long will I grieve with sorrow, not seeing Bhuridatta. 859. Like an osprey whose young are killed, seeing its nest empty; Long will I grieve with sorrow, not seeing Bhuridatta. 860. She, indeed, like a ruddy goose, in a waterless pond; Long will she grieve with sorrow I will come, not seeing Bhūridatta. 861. As a smith's furnace, burns inside, not outside; So I burn with sorrow, not seeing Bhūridatta. 862. Like a sala tree, crushed by the wind; Sons and wives lie, in Bhūridatta's dwelling. 863. Hearing this sound, in Bhūridatta's dwelling; Ariṭṭha and Subhoga, ran immediately. 864. Mother, take comfort, do not grieve, such is the nature of beings; They pass away and are reborn, this is their destiny. 865. I too, my son, know, such is the nature of beings; But I am overcome with sorrow, not seeing Bhūridatta. 866. If tonight, Sudassana, know this for me; Not seeing Bhūridatta, I think I will lose my life. 867. Mother, take comfort, do not grieve, we will bring back our brother; We will go in every direction, searching for our brother. 868. In mountains, in mountain fastnesses, in villages and towns; Within seven nights, see your brother returned. 869. The snake released from your hand, fell hard at your feet; Did it bite you, my son? Do not fear, be well. 870. This nāga is not for me, to cause any suffering; As far as snake-catching goes, none is greater than mine. 871. Who is this, in brahmin guise, come to this assembly? Let them challenge me to a good fight, let the assembly hear me! 872. You challenge me with a nāga, I with a frog-skin; Let there be a wonder there for us, with five thousand hopes. 873. I am indeed wealthy and rich, you are poor, young man; Who is your guarantor? And what would be the stake? 874. My stake would be, and my guarantor such; Let there be for us... was there, with five thousand. 875. Listen to me, great king, may there be good fortune to you; For my five thousand, a surety is to be made. 876. Whether it's ancestral debt, or what is self-made; Why do you ask me for such a great amount of wealth, brahmin? 877. Indeed Alampāna, with the nāga, wishes to conquer me; I, with a mongoose, will cause the brahmin to be bitten. 878. To see that, great king, today, prosperity of the kingdom; Surrounded by a host of warriors, go forth to see the serpent. 879. I do not despise you, for your skill's sake, young man; You are excessive in skill, you do not respect the serpent. 880. I also do not despise you, for your skill's sake, brahmin; With a non-poisonous serpent, you greatly deceive the people. 881. If people knew this, as I know it; You would not get, Alampa, a handful of chaff, much less wealth. 882. Wearing a rough hide, with matted hair, ill-minded, arrogant, having come to the assembly; You who despise such a serpent as non-poisonous. 883. Having attacked him, indeed you will know he is full of fierce power; I think he will quickly make you like a heap of ashes. 884. There might be poison in a stone-lizard, in a water-snake that lives among stones; But not in the red-headed serpent is poison found. 885. This has been heard from Arahants, self-controlled ones, ascetics; Having given gifts here, givers go to heaven; Give gifts while living, if you have to give. 886. This serpent is of great power, glorious, hard to overcome; With him I will cause you to be bitten, he will make you into ashes. 887. This also has been heard by me, friend, from self-controlled ones, ascetics; Having given gifts here, givers go to heaven; You yourself give while living, if you have to give. 888. This goat-faced one named Ajāmukhī, full of fierce splendor; With her I will bite you, she will turn you to ashes.’’ 889. ‘‘The daughter of Dhātaraṭṭha, my step-sister; May she bite you, Ajāmukhī, full of fierce splendor.’’ 890. ‘‘If I were to sprinkle it on the ground, know this, Brahmadatta; The grasses, creepers, and herbs would surely wither away. 891. ‘‘If I were to cast it upwards, know this, Brahmadatta; For seven years the god would not rain, nor would snow fall. 892. ‘‘If I were to sprinkle it in the water, know this, Brahmadatta; All the aquatic creatures, fish and turtles, would die.’’ 893. ‘‘The world-creating water, established in Prayāga; A being swallowed it, having plunged into the Yamunā river.’’ 894. ‘‘When this glorious lord of the world pervades Bārāṇasī all around; I am the son of that chief serpent, they call me Subhoga, O brahmin.’’ 895. ‘‘If indeed you are the son of the chief serpent, of the king of Kāsi, the lord of immortals; Your father is a mighty and distinguished one, and your mother among mortals is incomparable; Such a great being should not even be a slave to a brahmin.’’ 896. ‘‘You shot at a tree, an antelope that came to drink; Wounded, it went far away, swift with the speed of the arrow. 897. ‘‘You saw it fallen, in the great forest; Taking your own goat, you went to the banyan tree in the evening. 898. ‘‘Resounding with parrots and mynahs, adorned with a golden canopy; Charming with the cries of cuckoos, always with green turf. 899. ‘‘There he appeared to you, shining with power and glory; My mighty brother, surrounded by maidens. 900. ‘‘He t By whom you were cherished, and satisfied with all desires; You wronged the blameless, that enmity has come to you here. 901. "Quickly stretch out your neck, I will not give you life; I will cut off your head, the enmity of a brother's wife." 902. "A reciter of the Vedas, one who practices austerities, and a brahmin who offers to the fire; By these three conditions, a brahmin is inviolable." 903. "That which is full for Dhātaraṭṭha, entered into the Yamunā river; Shining all golden, touching the Yamuna mountain. 904. "There, those tiger-like men, my own brothers; As they will speak there, so shall you be, brahmin." 905. "Uncrossable, connected with crossing, are sacrifices and Vedas in the world of good enjoyments; He who despises that which is foremost, abandons wealth and the Dhamma of the good. 906. "Kshatriyas rule the earth, Vaisyas do farming, and Sudras do service; They each went according to their station, these are said to be those who have mastered." 907. "Dhātā, Vidhātā, Varuṇa, Kubera, Soma, Yama, Canda, Vāyu, Sūriya; These too, having performed sacrifices in various ways, fulfilled all desires for the reciters of the Vedas. 908. "Five hundred bows were drawn, by Arjuna, the strong Bhīmasena; The thousand-armed, unequalled on earth, he too then kindled the fire." 909. "He who fed brahmins for a long time, with food and drink according to his ability; With a serene mind, rejoicing, became a god of good enjoyment." 910. "He who was able to feed the fire with ghee, a great seat, with a mind-pleasing color; Having performed that excellent sacrifice, Mucalinda attained a divine destiny." 911. "The mighty one, living for a thousand years, who went forth, handsome and noble; Having abandoned his boundless kingdom with its army, King Dudīpa also went to heaven." 912. "He who, having conquered the ocean-bounded ocean, a beautiful golden sacrificial post..." blazing. He raised the fire, making it blaze, Subhoga became a certain god. 913. “By whose power, Subhoga, the Gaṅgā, Flowed into the ocean, curd-like; Anga, with hairy feet, performed the ritual, And reached the city of the thousand-eyed one.” 914. “A mighty, glorious chief of gods, The commander of Vāsava in Tāvatiṃsa; He, having removed defilement by the Soma sacrifice, Subhoga became a certain god.” 915. “He created this world and the next, Bhāgīrathī, Himavā, and Gijjha; That mighty, glorious chief of gods, He too then kindled the fire.” 916. “Mālāgiri, Himavā, and Gijjha, Sudassana, Nisabha, Kuveru;